Tang Dynasty Puppet Doctor

Chapter 68 The Upside-Down Ghost, Red Thread
"The cell where Qiu Shenji was imprisoned was in the Tianzi cell. There was no sign of anyone breaking in. The door wasn't even opened. Only shackles and iron locks were left in the cell."

When Xiao Muchen and Murong Huan arrived at the Dali Temple prison, Lu Ling led them through a long corridor and came to the outside of a dark cell.

The prison boss inside pointed at the cell and said with horror.

"In other words, only the people disappeared, and nothing here changed."

"Yes, everyone said it was a ghost. The ghosts of the city where he killed people took his life."

"Shut up! I've handled countless cases in the Dali Temple, and I've also encountered cases where ghosts and monsters have killed people. But after finding out the truth, everything was man-made. As a member of the Dali Temple, stop spouting nonsense."

Lu Ling scolded him, and the jailer immediately lowered his head and replied, "Yes!"

"Is it possible that the survivors of that city took him away to personally avenge their companions?" Lu Shiyilang questioned.

"Impossible. I know you're referring to Xie Zi'e, but Xie Zi'e had already promised us to expose her crimes at Princess Taiping's Peony Banquet and bring her to justice. Furthermore, the Saint had cleared the names of her companions and even convicted Qiu Shenji of treason. He was already doomed to death, so why would Xie Zi'e go to such lengths?"

Lu Shiyilang smiled and shrugged: "I was just joking! It's much better than those weird and supernatural stories, right? I was just afraid that they would scare you, little lady!"

As he said this, he approached Murong Huan with a grin on his face, but was immediately pulled away by Lu Ling by twisting his ears.

"It hurts, it hurts, Juro, what are you doing?"

What are you doing? You didn't see the look in Xiao Zhongcheng's eyes. Be careful, he'll impeach you and put you in jail.

Murong Huan cast his gaze towards the highest point of the cell. Although there were no windows, a few rays of golden sunlight fell through the gaps between the tiles, shining right on Xiao Muchen, making his fair skin look as flawless as porcelain. However, on one side of this flawless cheek, there seemed to be a slender shadow flickering.

Murong Huan couldn't help but take a step forward and touched the shadow that fell on his left cheek. This touch made Xiao Muchen's heart tremble.

"What's wrong?" Seeing her focused look, he lowered his eyes to look at her and asked softly.

Murong Huan looked up, and his eyes met his doting phoenix eyes.

"So beautiful!" Lu Shiyilang on the side couldn't help but let out a low sigh, then slapped himself and thought to himself: How can I admit that a man is more handsome than me?
At this moment, a cold wind seemed to blow in the prison, and Murong Huan couldn't help shivering. When he looked at Xiao Muchen's face again, the shadow suddenly disappeared.

Murong Huan once again looked towards the highest point of the cell and asked Lu Ling beside him, "Was there something on the roof just now?"

Lu Ling's face changed, and he immediately ordered Lu Shiyilang: "Tell Chen Si and the others to go to the top of the cell and take a look!"

"it is good!"

Lu Ling brought them both to the cell where Guo Hongba was imprisoned. The situation was similar to that of Qiu Shenji. The cell was locked tightly and no one had ever entered. The only difference was that Guo Hongba died in this cell, and his death was very strange.

Guo Hongba's body was now placed in the charity cemetery behind the Dali Temple. The coroner had examined the body and said that judging from the cut surface of the wound, he had indeed committed suicide by seppuku, and even his intestines had flowed out after that. Guo Hongba's expression was even more bizarre, with the corners of his lips crooked, as if he was smiling, and his pupils were wide open, as if he had seen something incredible.

"He seemed to be controlled by something and committed suicide willingly in his dream!"

This is the conclusion reached by the coroner.

"Are all the jailers and constables guarding here here?" Murong Huan asked.

Lu Ling nodded: "They are all here. Do you suspect there is a spy in our Dali Temple?"

"This possibility cannot be ruled out! But we can definitely find some clues from them." Lu Ling gathered all the prison guards and constables who had been arranged to guard the prison in the interrogation room.

There were about twenty people in total, tall and short, fat and thin, and they all looked at Murong Huan and others with confusion and fear.

"Did you hear anything? Or see anything?" Murong Huan asked.

"No...no...I heard nothing, saw nothing..."

Several jailers answered timidly.

Murong Huan found that the jailers' answers were very consistent, as if they had agreed to give such answers.

Xiao Muchen also noticed this and shouted angrily, "You are lying! If you let a serious criminal of the imperial court go, if the case is reported to the court, he will be punished with the same crime. Do you still want to protect the criminal?"

One of the jailers was so frightened that he dropped to his knees. "It's not human! It's not human! When Xiao Wu and I went to the restroom, we saw a ghost hanging upside down, walking towards us. It was so scary! Xiao Wu and I didn't even finish our pee before we ran back. When we got back, we found Qiu Shenji missing and Guo Hongba dead in prison, with a knife in his hands, stabbed straight into his stomach."

"Why didn't you tell me when I asked you before?" Lu Ling's face changed drastically and he shouted.

The jailer named Xiao Wu was so frightened that he was sweating profusely and trembling. He said, "It's not that we don't want to tell you, Lu Shaoqing. We said it was a ghost, but you don't believe us? Besides, we dare not say more. If we do, we will commit suicide by seppuku like Guo Hongba... Lu Shaoqing, I have old people above me and young children to take care of. I can't die yet. Besides, I'm afraid of bringing this filth into my home..."

"What dirty stuff? I've already told you, there are no ghosts in this world!"

Lu Ling yelled in anger.

"If I tell you, you will commit suicide by disembowelment like Guo Hongba? Did the female ghost you saw say this?" Murong Huan asked.

Xiao Wu nodded tremblingly: "Yes, that voice was so eerie and terrifying, like a gust of cold wind blowing past, it was as if the voice was speaking in my ear!"

Murong Huan asked again, "What else did you hear? For example, Guo Hongba's screams?"

"Yes, yes. Besides Guo Hongba's cries, there's also a strange ringing sound, like a wind chime, ding-ding-ding. It feels so close, yet so far away. We guess it must be coming from the female ghost. Oh no, not the female ghost, it's..."

"The murderer!" Xiao Muchen continued.

When the ringtone was mentioned, Xiao Muchen saw Murong Huan's eyes light up and an unusual solemnity appeared between his brows.

It's the ringing sound again!
At this time, Lu Shiyilang ran back panting and said, "I just went to the roof of this cell and checked. Aside from a loose tile, there's nothing else. Oh... there's also a red string!"

As he spoke, he stretched out a thin red line and measured it in front of Murong Huan, Xiao Muchen and Lu Ling.

"Red line?"

Murong Huan took the red thread in his hand curiously and looked at Xiao Muchen, so the shadow that fell on Xiao Muchen's face just now was actually this red thread.

"What does this red line mean?" Lu Shiyilang asked curiously when he saw her strange expression.

"I don't know for now, but the murderer must have left this red string for a reason." Murong Huan said, then looked at the jailer named Xiao Wu, "Take me to see the place where you saw the upside-down ghost!"

(End of this chapter)